Harvest box holding device

Abstract

A harvest box holding device 1 is capable of holding a harvest box 100 that can accommodate agricultural products. The harvest box holding device 1 comprises a conveyance mechanism 20 which is for conveying a harvest box, and a holding device body 10 which has a movement restriction wall 12 for restricting the movement of the harvest box with respect to one of the conveyance directions of the harvest box.

Description

Harvest box holding device CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2024-75888, filed on May 8, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a harvest bin holding device.

[0003] Agricultural produce such as vegetables and fruits harvested in a farm field are stored in a harvest box, which is a box-shaped harvest box. A transport cart is used to hold or transport the harvest box. Patent Document 1 discloses a transport cart that can transport cargo such as cardboard boxes or containers while holding the four corners of the cargo.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-291818

[0005] While conventional configurations can stably hold loads placed on a transport cart, they require a person to lift the load up when removing it from the cart. Furthermore, the task of placing the load on the cart while aligning the corners of the load with the four corners of the cart is complicated, which can lead to reduced workability. Therefore, conventional configurations leave room for improvement in terms of making it easier to install and replace harvest boxes on the cart.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a harvest box holding device that can easily install and replace harvest boxes.

[0007] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a harvest box holding device capable of holding harvest boxes capable of containing agricultural produce. The harvest box holding device includes a transport mechanism for transporting the harvest box, and a holding device body having a movement restriction wall that restricts movement of the harvest box in one of the transport directions of the harvest box.

[0008] This makes it easy to install and replace the harvest box in the harvest box holding device.

[0009] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment mounted on a moving device, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment, Figure 3 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment, Figure 4 is a side view showing an example of the configuration of a wall foundation portion of the holding device main body for a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment, Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a conveying roller attached to the holding device main body for a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment, Figure 6 is a side view showing an example of a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment in which through holes are arranged downward from the rear side to the front side of the holding device main body, Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of control content executed when a harvest box is installed in the holding device main body for a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment, and Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of control content executed when a harvest box is replaced in the holding device main body for a harvest box holding device according to one embodiment.

[0010] An embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. The harvest box holding device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device capable of holding a harvest box 100 that can contain agricultural produce, such as vegetables or fruits, harvested in a farm field. As shown in FIG. 1 , the harvest box holding device 1 is detachably mounted to a mobile device 90. The mobile device 90 is configured to be able to travel automatically or manually on the ground F within the farm field. The mobile device 90 may also be configured to be equipped with a robotic arm (not shown) for automatically harvesting the agricultural produce. In the following description, the vertically lower side of the page in FIG. 1 is referred to as the lower side of the harvest box holding device 1, and the vertically upper side of the page in FIG. 1 is referred to as the upper side of the harvest box holding device 1. The right side of the page in FIG. 1 is referred to as the rear side of the harvest box holding device 1, and the left side of the page in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front side of the harvest box holding device 1. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the up-down and front-to-back directions, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the depth of the page in FIG. 1, is referred to as the left-to-right direction of the harvest box holding device 1.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 , the moving device 90 has a support base 91, legs 92, and wheels 93. The support base 91 forms the upper surface of the moving device 90 and is formed, for example, from a plate-like member with a substantially rectangular outer shape. The support base 91 detachably supports the harvest box holding device 1. The legs 92 extend downward from the support base 91. The legs 92 are provided, for example, at each of the four corners of the support base 91. The wheels 93 are attached to the tips of the multiple legs 92, in this case, the lower ends. Although not shown in detail, the multiple wheels 93 have wheel members that come into contact with the ground F and are rotatable relative to the legs 92.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the harvest box holding device 1 includes a holding device main body 10, a conveying roller 20, a box detection unit 31, and a control unit 40. The holding device main body 10 constitutes the main body of the harvest box holding device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding device main body 10 has an opening 10a formed on the top surface thereof, and an end opening 10b formed on one end of the holding device main body 10, in this case the rear surface. In other words, the holding device main body 10 is formed with openings on the top and rear surfaces. A harvest box 100 can be placed in the internal space S of the holding device main body 10 through the top opening 10a and the end opening 10b.

[0013] The holding device main body 10 has a mounting surface material 11, a movement restriction wall 12, and a guide wall 13. The mounting surface material 11 forms the underside of the holding device main body 10. The mounting surface material 11 is formed, for example, by processing a flat plate-shaped member and forms a horizontal surface. The mounting surface material 11 is detachably attached to the support base 91 of the movement device 90, for example, by screws, bolts, etc. The movement restriction wall 12 is located at the other end of the holding device main body 10, i.e., the end opposite the end opening 10b, and forms the front surface of the holding device main body 10. The movement restriction wall 12 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction.

[0014] The guide walls 13 form the left-right side surfaces of the holding device main body 10. The guide walls 13 are formed in a pair, one on the left and one on the right. The pair of guide walls 13 are connected to both left and right ends of the movement restricting wall 12 and extend in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the movement restricting wall 12 and the pair of guide walls 13 form a wall surface that is approximately U-shaped in plan view. The internal space S of the holding device main body 10 is formed by the mounting surface material 11, the movement restricting wall 12, and the pair of guide walls 13.

[0015] The guide wall 13 has a guide wall main body 131 and a wall base portion 132. The guide wall main body 131 is formed, for example, integrally with the movement restricting wall 12 and is formed of a plate-like member extending in the front-to-rear direction. The guide wall main body 131 is formed with an approximately rectangular overall outer shape. The upper end 131a of the guide wall main body 131 is located at a different height than the upper end 12a of the movement restricting wall 12. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3 , the upper end 131a of the guide wall main body 131 is located lower than the upper end 12a of the movement restricting wall 12. The upper end 131a of the guide wall main body 131 constitutes the upper end 13a of the guide wall 13. In other words, the upper end 13a of the guide wall 13 is located lower than the upper end 12a of the movement restricting wall 12. Furthermore, the lower end of the guide wall main body 131 is located above and spaced apart from the mounting surface material 11. The guide wall main body 131 faces the side of the harvest box 100 placed in the internal space S of the holding device main body 10 .

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3 , the guide wall main body 131 has a plurality of cutout portions 131b. The plurality of cutout portions 131b are provided at predetermined intervals in the direction in which the guide wall main body 131 extends, in this case the front-to-rear direction. The plurality of cutout portions 131b are provided at equal intervals, for example. The plurality of cutout portions 131b may also be provided at unequal intervals. In this embodiment, four plurality of cutout portions 131b are provided. The number of plurality of cutout portions 131b is not limited to this. The cutout portions 131b are formed by cutting the lower end of the guide wall main body 131 upward.

[0017] The wall foundation 132 is configured separately from the guide wall main body 131. The wall foundation 132 is attached to the mounting surface material 11 and supported by the mounting surface material 11. The wall foundation 132 is formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4 , the wall foundation 132 has a vertical wall 132a and a horizontal wall 132b. The vertical wall 132a forms a vertical surface and is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape extending in the front-to-rear direction. The vertical wall 132a is positioned so that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the guide wall main body 131 in the up-down direction. The vertical wall 132a is attached to the guide wall main body 131 by, for example, screws or bolts. Therefore, the guide wall main body 131 is supported by the mounting surface material 11 via the wall foundation 132.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 4 , the vertical wall 132a also has cutouts 132c. A plurality of the cutouts 132c are provided at positions corresponding to the cutouts 131b of the guide wall main body 131. In this case, the plurality of cutouts 132c are provided, for example, at equal intervals. The cutouts 132c are formed by cutting downward the upper end of the vertical wall 132a. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, a plurality of through holes 133 are formed in the area where the cutouts 131b of the guide wall main body 131 and the cutouts 132c of the vertical wall 132a overlap. The through holes 133 are positioned, for example, at the same height. The through holes 133 are formed to penetrate the guide wall 13 in the thickness direction. The horizontal wall 132b forms a horizontal surface and extends continuously outward from the lower end of the vertical wall 132a. The length of the horizontal wall 132b in the front-rear direction is set to be approximately the same as the length of the vertical wall 132a in the front-rear direction.

[0019] The transport rollers 20 are, for example, roller conveyors, and are used to transport the harvest box 100 to the holding device main body 10. That is, the transport rollers 20 move the harvest box 100 along the front-to-rear direction of the internal space S. The transport direction of the harvest box 100, indicated by the black arrow A in FIG. 2 , coincides with the front-to-rear direction of the harvest box holding device 1. When the harvest box 100 is transported until it contacts the inner surface of the movement restriction wall 12, i.e., the surface facing the internal space S, it is placed within the holding device main body 10 and the harvest box 100 is held there. That is, the movement restriction wall 12 restricts the movement of the harvest box 100 in one direction of the transport direction of the harvest box 100, in this case, forward. That is, when the harvest box 100 is transported within the holding device main body 10 in the other direction of the transport direction, in this case, from rear to front, it comes into contact with the movement restriction wall 12, and its movement in the transport direction is physically restricted. The pair of guide walls 13 also restrict movement of the harvest box 100 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, in this case, movement in the left-right direction, and guide movement of the harvest box 100 in the conveying direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, a plurality of conveying rollers 20 are provided along the conveying direction of the harvest box 100, and rotate while supporting the harvest box 100 from below. The plurality of conveying rollers 20 are supported by a pair of guide walls 131. The upper surfaces of the plurality of conveying rollers 20 are provided, for example, at the same height. The plurality of conveying rollers 20 are positioned opposite the mounting surface material 11. The conveying rollers 20 function as a conveying mechanism. Note that the conveying mechanism may employ a configuration such as a belt conveyor or a chain conveyor instead of the conveying rollers 20.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3 , when the harvest box 100 is supported by the conveying rollers 20, the upper end 12a of the movement restriction wall 12 is positioned above the upper end 100a of the harvest box 100. This makes it difficult for a robot arm to come into contact with the upper end 100a of the harvest box 100 when harvesting agricultural produce using the robot arm, for example. This prevents the harvest box 100 from shifting out of position within the holding device main body 10. Meanwhile, the upper end 131a of the guide wall 13 is positioned below the upper end 100a of the harvest box 100. Furthermore, when the harvest box 100 is installed within the holding device main body 10, one end of the guide wall 13, i.e., the rear end, is positioned forward of the rear surface of the harvest box 100. This makes it easier for a worker, a robot arm, or the like to grasp the harvest box 100 installed within the holding device main body 10.

[0022] The plurality of conveying rollers 20 includes a drive roller 21 and a driven roller 22. The drive roller 21 is located rearward of the driven roller 22. In other words, the driven roller 22 is located forward of the drive roller 21. In this case, the drive roller 21 is provided in a position facing the end opening 10b. In other words, the drive roller 21 is provided in a position closest to the end opening 10b among the plurality of conveying rollers 20. The drive roller 21 is configured as a so-called motor roller. The drive roller 21 is configured to be rotatable in the conveying direction of the harvest box 100 or in the opposite direction to the conveying direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 5 , the drive roller 21 has a drive roller body 211, a motor 212 as a drive source, and a shaft 213. The drive roller body 211 is cylindrical and forms the outer shell of the drive roller 21. The motor 212 is housed inside the drive roller body 211. The motor 212 drives the drive roller 21 to rotate. The shafts 213 are provided at both ends of the drive roller body 211 and support the drive roller body 211 so that it can rotate freely. As shown in FIG. 3 , the shafts 213 are configured to be insertable into the through-holes 133 of the guide walls 13. With each shaft 213 inserted into its corresponding through-hole 133, the drive roller 21 is supported by the pair of guide walls 13.

[0024] The driven roller 22 is configured as a so-called free roller. The driven roller 22 is rotatable about an axis parallel to a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the harvest box 100. The driven roller 22 receives the harvest box 100 conveyed by the rotational force of the drive roller 21 and can rotate in synchronization with the drive roller 21. As shown in FIG. 5 , the driven roller 22 has a driven roller body 221 and a shaft portion 222. The driven roller body 221 is formed in a cylindrical shape and forms the outer shell of the driven roller 22. The outer diameter of the driven roller body 221 is set to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the drive roller body 211, for example. The outer diameter of the driven roller body 221 may be different from the outer diameter of the drive roller body 211. The shaft portions 222 are provided at both ends of the driven roller body 221 and rotatably support the driven roller body 221.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3 , the shaft portion 222 is configured to be insertable into the through-hole 133 of the guide wall 13. With each shaft portion 213 inserted into the corresponding through-hole 133, the driven roller 22 is supported by the pair of guide walls 13. In this embodiment, four through-holes 133 are provided, and one drive roller 21 is supported in the through-hole 133a located at the rearmost side, and three driven rollers 22 are supported in the three through-holes 133b, 133c, and 133d located forward of the through-hole 133a. The number and combination of drive rollers 21 and driven rollers 22 in the multiple conveying rollers 20 are not limited to this. For example, a configuration in which multiple drive rollers 21 are provided, or a configuration in which some of the multiple driven rollers 22 are positioned to face the end opening 10b, may be adopted.

[0026] The plurality of conveying rollers 20 may be configured to support the harvest box 100 in a state inclined downward as it moves from the rear side to the front side of the holding device main body 10. That is, the plurality of conveying rollers 20 may support the harvest box 100 in a state inclined downward as it moves from one direction to the other in the conveying direction of the harvest box 100. In this case, as shown in the example of FIG. 6 , the plurality of through holes 133 are arranged to be positioned downward as it moves from the rear to the front. Therefore, the shafts 213, 222 inserted into the plurality of through holes 133 are positioned downward as it moves from the rear to the front, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 , the upper surfaces of the plurality of conveying rollers 20 form a surface that slopes downward as it moves from the rear to the front. This makes it easier for the harvest box 100 placed on the plurality of conveying rollers 20 and transported into the holding device main body 10 to move in the direction of gravity, thereby enabling the harvest box 100 to be stably maintained in contact with the movement restricting wall 12.

[0027] The box detection unit 31 detects the presence or absence of a harvest box 100 within the holding device main body 10. The box detection unit 31 is configured, for example, by a photoelectric sensor. The box detection unit 31 may also be configured by a limit switch, a pressure sensor, or the like. The box detection unit 31 is located on the front side of the holding device main body 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 , the box detection unit 31 is located forward of the center of the guide wall 13 in the front-to-rear direction of the guide wall 13. The box detection unit 31 can be configured to detect a harvest box 100 that has moved to a state where it is installed within the holding device main body 10. In this case, the box detection unit 31 is located near the portion where the guide wall 13 and the movement restriction wall 12 connect. If the box detection unit 31 is configured, for example, by a photoelectric sensor, a through-hole (not shown) is formed in the guide wall 13 at a position corresponding to the box detection unit 31. This allows the presence or absence of a harvest box 100 within the holding device main body 10 to be detected from outside the holding device main body 10 using the box detection unit 31.

[0028] The control unit 40 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having storage areas such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and rewritable flash memory. The control unit 40 controls the overall operation of the harvest box holding device 1. The storage area of ​​the control unit 40 stores a control program for controlling the harvest box holding device 1 to perform its operation. Each process of the control unit 40 is realized by the CPU executing the control program. The motor 212 of the drive roller 21 and the box detection unit 31 are electrically connected to the control unit 40. The control unit 40 receives detection signals from the box detection unit 31 and controls the operation of the motor 212 based on the control program.

[0029] Next, an example of control executed by the control unit 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 . First, with reference to FIG. 7 , the control executed when placing the harvest box 100 in the holding device main body 10 will be described. When the placement of the harvest box 100 is initiated (START in FIG. 7 ), the control unit 40 drives the drive roller 21 to rotate it in the conveying direction of the harvest box 100 in step S11. The placement of the harvest box 100 is initiated, for example, when the holding device main body 10 is powered on. Next, in step S12, the control unit 40 determines whether the box detection unit 31 has detected the harvest box 100 in the holding device main body 10. If the harvest box 100 is detected (YES in step S12), the control unit 40 stops the drive roller 21. That is, when the box detection unit 31 detects the harvest box 100 in the holding device main body 10, the control unit 40 stops the drive roller 21. This allows the harvest box 100 to be placed in a predetermined position relative to the holding device main body 10.

[0030] Here, it is conceivable that the position of the harvest box 100 installed within the holding device main body 10 may change due to vibrations or the like that occur when the holding device main body 10 moves, for example, as the moving device 90 moves within the field. In order to perform stable harvesting work of agricultural products, it is desirable to maintain the position of the harvest box 100 installed within the holding device main body 10 in a predetermined position. Therefore, in step S14, the control unit 40 determines whether the box detection unit 31 has detected the harvest box 100 within the holding device main body 10.

[0031] If the harvest box 100 is not detected (NO in step S14), the control unit 40 returns the process to step S11 and drives the drive roller 21 to rotate it in the transport direction of the harvest box 100. In other words, if the harvest box 100 is no longer detected after the drive of the drive roller 21 is stopped, the control unit 40 assumes that the harvest box 100 has shifted from the predetermined position and returns the harvest box 100 to the movement restriction wall 12 side. The control unit 40 then repeats the processes from step S12 onwards.

[0032] Next, referring to FIG. 8 , the control executed when the harvest box 100 is removed from the holding device main body 10, i.e., when the harvest box 100 is replaced, will be described. When the harvest box 100 replacement operation is initiated ( START in FIG. 8 ), the control unit 40 drives the drive roller 21 to rotate it in the direction opposite to the conveying direction of the harvest box 100 in step S21. The harvest box 100 replacement operation is executed, for example, when a certain number of farm boxes are placed in the harvest box 100 installed in the holding device main body 10. In this case, the harvest box 100 replacement operation is initiated, for example, when a preset time has elapsed since the start of the harvest box 100 installation operation, or when the value detected by, for example, a weight detection sensor installed in the holding device main body 10 that detects the weight of the harvest box 100 exceeds a predetermined value. Next, in step S22, the control unit 40 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed. The predetermined time corresponds to the time required to remove the harvest box 100 from the holding device main body 10. The predetermined time can be set to any time.

[0033] If the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S22), the control unit 40, in step S23, rotates the drive roller 21 in the transport direction of the harvest box 100. In other words, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the control unit 40 rotated the drive roller 21 in the direction opposite to the transport direction, it determines that removal of the harvest box 100 has been completed, and rotates the drive roller 21 in the transport direction in preparation for installation work of the next harvest box 100. In this way, the series of harvest box 100 replacement work is completed (END).

[0034] According to the embodiment described above, the harvest box holding device 1 is capable of holding a harvest box 100 capable of containing agricultural produce. The harvest box holding device 1 includes a transport roller 20 and a holding device main body 10. The transport roller 20 is for transporting the harvest box 100. The holding device main body 10 has a movement restriction wall 12 that restricts movement of the harvest box 100 in one of the transport directions of the harvest box 100. This allows the holding device main body 10 and the transport roller 20 to cooperate to facilitate installation and replacement of the harvest box 100 in the harvest box holding device 1.

[0035] A plurality of conveying rollers 20 are provided along the conveying direction of the harvest box 100, and rotate while supporting the harvest box 100 from below. Each of the plurality of conveying rollers 20 includes a drive roller 21 that is driven to rotate by a motor 212. This allows the drive roller 21 to hold the harvest box 100 in a predetermined position, such as a position where it is in contact with the movement-restricting wall 12. This allows the harvest box 100 to be placed in a stable position. Furthermore, when working in a field where the harvest box holding device 1 is likely to come into contact with soil, dust, etc., it is possible to reduce the occurrence of contamination of the conveying rollers 20 and improve maintainability.

[0036] The plurality of conveying rollers 20 support the harvest box 100 in a state inclined downward as it moves from one direction to the other in the conveying direction of the harvest box 100. This allows the harvest box 100 to be easily transported toward the movement restriction wall 12 of the holding device main body 10 by its own weight when the harvest box 100 is placed on the holding device main body 10. This makes it easier to smoothly place the harvest box 100 while reducing the driving load of the plurality of conveying rollers 20.

[0037] Furthermore, the upper end 12a of the movement restriction wall 12 is positioned above the upper end 100a of the harvest box 100 being transported. Here, agricultural crop harvesting in the field is sometimes performed using a harvesting robot, such as a robotic arm. If the harvest box 100 is exposed from the top of the holding device main body 10, the harvesting robot may come into contact with the top of the harvest box 100, causing the position of the harvest box 100 to change. Therefore, by positioning the upper end 12a of the movement restriction wall 12 above the upper end 100a of the harvest box 100 being transported, it is made less likely for the harvesting robot or the like to come into contact with the harvest box 100 inside the holding device main body 10, thereby preventing the position of the harvest box 100 from changing.

[0038] The holding device body 10 further has a pair of guide walls 13 that face the sides of the harvest box 100 to be transported. This makes it easier to transport the harvest box 100 to be transported by the pair of guide walls 13. This allows for more stable installation and replacement of the harvest box 100 in the harvest box holding device 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the upper ends 13a of the pair of guide walls 13 are positioned lower than the upper ends 100a of the harvest boxes 100 being transported. This makes it easier to grasp the harvest boxes 100 from the sides, which makes it easier to install and replace the harvest boxes 100 in the harvest box holding device 1.

[0040] Harvest box holding device 1 further includes a control unit 40 and a box detection unit 31. Control unit 40 controls conveying rollers 20. Box detection unit 31 detects the presence or absence of a harvest box 100 within holding device main body 10. Control unit 40 then stops conveying rollers 20 when box detection unit 31 detects a harvest box 100 within holding device main body 10. This allows, for example, the drive of conveying rollers 20 to be stopped when a harvest box 100 is being held by harvest box holding device 1, thereby contributing to energy savings.

[0041] In addition to the inventions described in the claims, the present disclosure also includes the following inventions: [1] A harvest box holding device (1) capable of holding a harvest box (100) capable of containing agricultural produce, comprising: a transport mechanism (20) for transporting the harvest box; and a holding device main body (10) having a movement restriction wall (12) for restricting movement of the harvest box in one of the transport directions of the harvest box.

[0042] [2] The harvest box holding device of [1], wherein the conveying mechanism is composed of a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the harvest box and rotating while supporting the harvest box from below, and the plurality of conveying rollers include a drive roller (21) that is driven to rotate by a drive source (212).

[0043] [3] The harvest box holding device of [2], wherein the plurality of conveying rollers support the harvest box in a state inclined downward as the harvest box moves from one direction to the other in the conveying direction of the harvest box.

[0044] [4] The harvest box holding device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the upper end (12a) of the movement restriction wall is positioned above the upper end (100a) of the harvest box being transported.

[0045] [5] The harvest box holding device according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the holding device body further has a pair of guide walls (13) that face the sides of the harvest box being transported.

[0046] [6] The harvest box holding device according to [5], wherein the upper ends (13a) of the pair of guide walls are positioned lower than the upper end of the harvest box being transported.

[0047] [7] A harvest box holding device according to any one of [1] to [6], further comprising: a control unit (40) that controls the conveying mechanism; and a box detection unit (31) that detects the presence or absence of the harvest box within the holding device main body, wherein the control unit stops the conveying mechanism when the box detection unit detects the harvest box within the holding device main body.

[0048] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A harvest box holding device (1) capable of holding a harvest box (100) capable of containing agricultural produce, comprising: a conveying mechanism (20) for conveying the harvest box; and a holding device main body (10) having a movement restriction wall (12) for restricting movement of the harvest box in one of the conveying directions of the harvest box.

2. The harvest box holding device described in claim 1, wherein the conveying mechanism is composed of conveying rollers that are arranged in a plurality of positions along the conveying direction of the harvest box and rotate while supporting the harvest box from below, and the plurality of conveying rollers include a drive roller (21) that is driven to rotate by a drive source (212).

3. The harvest box holding device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of conveying rollers support the harvest box in a state inclined downward as the harvest box moves from one direction to the other in the conveying direction of the harvest box.

4. The harvest box holding device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end (12a) of the movement restricting wall is positioned above the upper end (100a) of the harvest box being transported.

5. The harvest box holding device according to claim 1, wherein the holding device body further comprises a pair of guide walls (13) that face the sides of the harvest box being transported.

6. The harvest box holding device according to claim 5, wherein the upper ends (13a) of the pair of guide walls are positioned lower than the upper end of the harvest box being transported.

7. A harvest box holding device as described in claim 1, further comprising a control unit (40) that controls the conveying mechanism, and a box detection unit (31) that detects the presence or absence of the harvest box within the holding device main body, wherein the control unit stops the conveying mechanism when the box detection unit detects the harvest box within the holding device main body.

Images